A comic play Christmas play for Infants by Robert Smith

The play was written for an Infant department, (5, 6 and 7 year old children), in a rural primary school and can involve from as few as 15 to as many as 50 children. The main action in the play is described by narrators and there are simple one or two line speaking parts for some characters, and many opportunities for non-speaking, moving and dancing parts for others.

Eventually Father Christmas and his reindeer and elves set off. They have to walk at first because the reindeer are unfit for flight. They spend the first night in a forest, where it is rather frightening.

Father Christmas sees a small hut and inside he sees a family preparing for Christmas. The scene that he watches makes him realise how selfish he had been, and how important Christmas is. So, with renewed vigour, and reindeer that have recovered and can now fly, Father Christmas sets off, and Christmas is saved.

The Christmas That Nearly Wasn't is a story about a rather grumpy Father Christmas who takes a lot of persuading to go out into the cold to deliver presents.

In fact, when the play starts, Father Christmas, and his wife, Mary, are on holiday on a tropical island, and the locals don't want him to go back to the north pole.

You can buy a copy of the script for £25. A cd of the songs costs £7.50 . To order, please send an email to enquiries@plays4kidz.com Thank you for your interest in my work. I look forward to hearing from you.

When Father Christmas eventually returns to his home in the north, there is trouble. The elves are not happy!

Mary Christmas talks them round, but the problems are not all over yet. The reindeer have had too good a summer.

Now here is a sample of the play and the song stay here, don't go

THE CHRISTMAS THAT NEARLY WASN'T The play opens on a beach somewhere very hot and sunny. Father Christmas, for it is he, is sitting on a deckchair. Dressed in a red hooped t-shirt, flip flops, straw hat, he is sipping a cocktail of phenomenal strength. Beside him, on another deckchair sits Mrs Christmas. She is dressed in a woollen two-piece, wearing a sensible hat and the kind of shoes you can only buy from 'Peoples Friend' . She is knitting.
Narrator 1	Every year, Father Christmas likes to go away somewhere hot and sunny for his holidays
Narrator 2	Of course, he always takes his wife with him.
Narrator 1	When he is rested and relaxed and ready to start preparing for Christmas, he goes back home to the North Pole.
Narrator 2	But this year, there are a few problems.
Narrator 1	In November, Father Christmas is still on holiday
Father Christmas	I'm not going back, I've had enough. I'm staying here.
Narrator 2	Mrs Christmas is worried.
Mrs Christmas	I'm worried. What about Christmas? What's going to happen?
Narrator 1	But no matter what she says, and how much she urges Father Christmas to change his mind, he remains obstinate.
Father Christmas	I'm not going back. I've had enough. I'm staying here.

THE CHRISTMAS THAT NEARLY WASN'T